Date: 7/24/2003
Time: 11:03:35 AM
God sends the prophet Nathan to rebuke David the king for his abuse of power in deceiving and killing Uriah and taking Uriah's wife.
Date: 7/27/2003
Time: 8:30:34 PM
Of interest: There is an excellent article on David and Joab in this month's Bible Review.
It takes Nathan, the mouthpiece of God, to "snap" David to his senses. The prophet allows David to indict himself, to see himself in the mirror. The prophet's method should be studied closely by every minister--very pastoral. Had Nathan directly confronted David, it is entirely possible the king would have become angry, defensive and resistant to judgement. Yet, David's sense of ethics were intact (albeit for others) therefore his indictment is irrefutable. Nathan's curse is actually the curse David brings upon himself. His infidelity toward the covenant is reflected in the infidelity of his household. We reap what we sow. Our children learn by example, and our attitudes and behaviors do not go unnoticed. Shalom, Fro.
Date: 7/28/2003
Time: 6:38:55 AM
I really failed to get started last week until Saturday afternoon, and I had a funeral service for which I had to prepare for Sunday as well. I want to get going earlier this week.
Back in 1976 CBS aired a series infomercials entitled, "You Were There," to help us recall the history of our struggle for independence and nation building. There is something about Nathan's charge, "You the man" that makes me want to say "You were there and you the man or you the woman." Relentlessly, our human nature drives us to point fingers to the sins of others and fail to see the other three that point back in our direction. TN Mack
Date: 7/28/2003
Time: 2:36:27 PM
Healing begins to take place as one becomes aware of one's sin. Without awareness that one is sinful, then one cannot change what one does not know.
David got a reality check by Nathan. What reality should we check on for ourselves, our communities where we encounter each other's ministries, our nation and our world?
As David faced his reality and became convinced that he sinned..........He verbalized that sin through at confession........and then changed to move on.
Does our confession each Sunday in our congregations make us change? Why? Why not?
Just asking and seeking........
cs
Date: 7/29/2003
Time: 9:09:18 AM
My congregation has been following the lectionary reading from 1 and 2 Samuel and the life of David. We did a dramatic reading of a theoretical phone call between King David and Dr. Laura Schlessinger about his dilemma with Bathsheba. It was fun and we could see David with all his flaws and his humanity. But this lectionary passage brings some trouble for this female pastor. It appears to be misogynistic in portraying God using David's wives for canon (no pun intended) fodder. Any help out there? BB in IL
Date: 7/29/2003
Time: 11:18:26 AM
I get to use my sermon title "I am Tiger Woods" because Nathan gets to say You Da Man!. Actually that is as about as far as I have gotten. I know grace is going to be included and I am offering communion this Sunday so I hope to end up with David's confession being our call to the altar.
Date: 7/29/2003
Time: 11:35:18 AM
I like cs's questions about the reality check. Someone suggested to me this week that we live in a hall of mirrors. We see reflections of who we are from our co-workers and our performance evaluations, from our friends and neighbors, and other sources. But, which of those reflections is accurate? Some of them? All? None? The hall of mirrors can distort things drastically -- at what point do we begin to believe even a distorted reflection?
Nathan held up an accurate mirror to David and he didn't even recognize himself until Nathan got really blunt. Whom do we trust to give us an accurate reflection? Do we accept it when there are blemishes or a few extra pounds? Still working this out. MTSOfan
Date: 7/30/2003
Time: 7:05:10 AM
Nathan would have been a good C.P.E. supervisor. I remember my own residency from a decade ago with "fear and trembling," i.e., those Interpersonal Relationship Groups, supervision sessions, etc. There would be a lot of "parabolic" discussions and then you'd get "zinged"! However, Nathan would have been good b/c I sense that restoration was his goal, not judgment. We could learn from him. EcclesialMan in NC
Date: 7/31/2003
Time: 7:55:26 AM
Was wondering this morning if David would have messed up so badly if Jonathon had still been living. If Jonathon was truly a friend, would he have helped keep David straight? It seems that David had no one in his life that held him accountable, except Nathan after the fact, and led to him having a distorted sense of entitlement. "All the other kings get to do what they want." To his credit, when Nathan confronted him, he remembered that he was held to a higher level of accountability than what all the other kings were doing. Jim H in SC
Date: 8/1/2003
Time: 6:35:10 AM
BB in IL I think it is something that females of faith continue to wrestle with. I suppose we have to ask ourselves whether we continue to be used as "canon foder," As you called it, or do we standup for what is right and liberate the memories of our foremothers. We let God direct us in new liberation from those images of the past. I've also wrestled with the inevitability of being attracted to another human. Was David's (and Bathsehba's response)sin in the attraction, or what they did with the attraction?
Shalom
Pasthersyl (now retired, preferring now to being called bammamma)